The Boston Celtics continued to be the best team in the NBA from wire to wire during this regular season. But that's the problem. Boston has proven its dominance in years past. This is nothing new. For this team with a star-studded roster led by Jayson Tatum, it's all about getting the job done in the postseason and winning a title. It's no exaggeration to say that the Celtics are under the most pressure so far this spring.
LeBron James is well aware of these arguments and is not worried about Tatum not being able to reach the top of the NBA, whether this season or in the future.
On James' new podcast, “Mind the Game,” with JJ Redick, the legend said Tatum is on the same trajectory as other NBA all-time greats. After listing some of Tatum's accolades, James perfectly uses his age (26) to explain why it's no big deal that the Celtics star hasn't won a title yet. did.
Everything James said about being the alpha dog of the league is true.
Even after winning three MVP awards, James himself didn't win a title until he was 28 years old and joined the Miami Heat's second team. After Nikola Jokic won two MVP awards, she didn't win a title with the Denver Nuggets until she was 28 years old. Despite having countless accomplishments of his own, Michael Jordan famously ended up winning his first championship in Chicago, taking a lump sum from the Detroit Pistons. And it took Kobe Bryant until he was 30 years old to win a title with the Los Angeles Lakers without the help of Shaquille O'Neal.
James' point becomes even more salient when it comes to unrealistic expectations for NBA stars' success. It doesn't matter how talented you are. It doesn't matter how great the supporting cast is.This is what the history of the league says: everyone Before you can finally hoist the magnificent Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, you must pay your dues. It is inevitable that the pain of defeat can sometimes feel like it lasts for years. But that's what makes the legends mentioned special in the first place. why? Because they kept pushing until they finally broke through. They never threw in the towel. They knew they had to experience failure to understand what it meant to achieve that ultimate glory. They just kept competing.
Tatum has already experienced his fair share of heartbreak. Perhaps his past failures have sharpened him enough that he can finally win the title this season and perhaps even stay ahead of the game's other legends. Even if he doesn't make it in Boston this spring, the established ledger of NBA history's greatest players all say he's still on schedule.
